Swiss minaret debate: The real issue

Waqar Gillani

Banning new minarets of mosques in a liberal and democratic country like Switzerland has undoubtedly stunned the whole world. Generally, it has been dubbed a step towards the “clash of civilisations”.

An insight of the Swiss-minaret controversy shows some signs of fear and threats to the liberal norms of the Swiss society. These fears need a positive debate between the Swiss natives — those who overwhelmingly voted for the ban in the November 2009 referendum — and the Muslim parts.

A deeper study to know the background of the issue seems necessary to positively resolve the issue before terming this step an attack on Islam and before reacting to this legal right of the Swiss society.

The issue seems an attempt to assert values of liberal societies by taking measures that take up radical issues. Minaret is a symbol of fear and political hegemony for the Swiss society.

For Muslims minaret is a symbol of grandeur in the shape of an architectural identity of a religion and a democratic right. Collectively speaking, the decision is strange and condemnable but it needs efforts to unfold the hidden reasons and fears of the liberal societies like the Swiss.

On November 29, 2009, the Swiss, through a referendum, decided to ban construction of new minarets of mosques. Switzerland's system of direct democracy enables citizens and pressure groups to demand change in the constitution if they can collect 100,000 signatures within 18 months.

In July 2008, the rightwing Swiss People’s Party handed in an initiative, “Against the Construction of Minarets”, to the government with 113,540 valid signatures. The referendum was supported by 57.5 percent participating voters. Only four of the 26 Swiss cantons opposed the initiative.

Supporters of minarets see them as political symbols and as a sign of what they term “Islamisation” of Switzerland. Opponents see the ban as infringing upon human rights and harmful to Switzerland’s image and a possible threat to peaceful co-existence of Christians and Muslims in the country.

The minaret controversy actually refers to the construction of minarets, which has been subject to legal and political controversy in Switzerland during the 2000s.

In 2007, a group of politicians mainly from the Swiss People’s Party and the Federal Democratic Union sought a constitutional ban on minarets. The controversy began in a small municipality in the northern part of Switzerland in 2005.
The contention involved the Turkish cultural association in Wangen bei Olten, which applied for a construction permit to build a six-metre-high minaret on an Islamic centre. The project faced opposition from surrounding residents. The Federal Supreme Court gave the final permission to build the 20 feet-high minaret. It was built in July 2009. From 2006 until 2008, members of the Swiss People's Party and the Federal Democratic Union launched several cantonal initiatives against the erection of minarets.

The reason to term the elevated towers on mosques as threat to the Swiss culture, rather a sign of tolerance and democracy in a liberal society, seems more social and internal. Minaret — considered a historic architectural symbol of Islam — has many reasons to build.

Primarily, it was built to spread the call for prayers of the Muslim. Minaret’s soaring presence can also be seen from far and Muslims can find their way to the mosque. The top of the minarets have tombs with proper spaces from where security can be maintained. Historically, it has an architectural value.

Another interesting aspect of minaret is of "grandeur". It’s height, and architect gives a sense of “grandeur” while relating to that particular religion- Islam. There is lot of Islamic literature including religious verses (Na’at) on the “grandeur” of the minaret of a mosque – especially the mosque of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) called as “Masjid-e-Nabvi.”

On the Salfi and Wahabi part of the Muslims, usually, there is only minaret on the mosque representing their faith in oneness of Allah. While, the other sects like Sunni and Shiites have different architects having more than one minaret too.

The issue seems reactionary. When a small number Muslim-immigrants of a county can move the higher courts of Switzerland to build a six-meter tall minaret on an Islamic centre as their rights then the possibility of reaction of the majority natives those fear the legal contradictions of Islam to their liberal norms can also be not ruled out. This reactionary move, automatically, creates a debate of the rights of the natives and the immigrants. The issue seems “grandeur” on the part of the Muslims and “fear” on the part of the Swiss natives.

The issue has spawned a debate of the rights of natives and the immigrants. Oskar Freysinger, member of parliament from Swiss Peoples’ Party — who is elected from the canton from where this controversy began — has reportedly said that these minarets, built with Salfi and Wahabi money, are now becoming “potential threat of islamification” in their society. He said Muslims are always welcome in Switzerland and their belief in Allah is no problem for the Swiss. “The only problem is the political and legal part of Islam where it is confrontation with liberal society and democracy. There are some parts of shariah that are contradictory to the Swiss legal system,” he said in an interview on Al-Jazeera. “They want to impose a particular view. Moderate Muslims need no minarets,” he added. The MP said it was not a theological problem. The MP also said, “We want equilibrium between different religions to be maintained. We have nothing against Islam but legal problems with some parts of Islam.”

Muslims seem disappointed after living for more than 40 years in a democratic Switzerland. They believe that the Swiss are misinformed by certain elements. But they have to respect this democratic vote of the Swiss people. They think this decision would be overruled by the United Nations, International Court of Justice, and higher forums where the matter has already been taken up. The issue has sent a message to other European and Western countries. It can become a trend in other countries too.

This seems to be the issue of multi-culturalism and its integration in the liberal societies. These societies generously allowed other cultures in their counties and now fear a misuse of this freedom realising a parallel conventional Islamic system in the hearts and minds of unchanged fundamental Muslims. An inclusive approach is required to positively debate such issues within the societies, inviting all tiers from the government, natives and immigrants.

The article has also been published in The News on Sunday, the Sunday edition of The News International. It is avialable at

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2010-weekly/nos-31-01-2010/pol1.htm#5